2026 International Mathematical Olympiad Alumni Reunion
This 4-day event is optimized for building those relationships among the attendees. The approximate program is:
Sun Jul 19 (Students on Shanghai High School campus, with Final Jury Meeting of national coaches deciding medals that afternoon): alumni arrive at Shanghai High School in the morning. National Coaches will be busy at an off-site hotel completing Coordination (agreeing on scores for their contestants’ papers). National Coaches will then have their Final Jury Meeting at their off-site hotel. The jury meeting room may not be large enough for the IMO Alumni to watch, and so the default expectation is that IMO Alumni remain on the Shanghai High School campus where the IMO contestants are. As a benefit, they will then be able to witness the contestants’ emotions immediately after the results are announced, instead of needing to travel some distance and time from the jury meeting location to the contestant site. From the early evening, IMO Alumni will embark on a dedicated river cruise which includes dinner. This will be a private opportunity for alumni to network. (Alumni who are already attending the IMO in an official capacity, e.g., as Team Leader, will already be invited to the normal IMO evening cruise which is organized by the IMO itself.)
Note: alumni are responsible for booking their own hotel accommodation (not included in the IMO Alumni Reunion registration fee) for the nights of Sun Jul 19 and Mon Jul 20 (as well as prior nights if they choose to arrive earlier). There are many hotels ranging from inexpensive (~US$30/night at the GreenTree Inn which is a 10 minute walk to Shanghai High School) to mid-range (~US$60/night at nearby Atour / JI / Orange chains, which will require a Didi/taxi ride to the school). The Trip.com app or website is a good method for foreigners to book hotel and train reservations. Po-Shen Loh has used it extensively to travel around China.
Mon Jul 20 (IMO 2026 Closing Ceremony): after having breakfast on their own, alumni are welcome to attend activities at the IMO contestant site. Po-Shen Loh will be the host. There may be contestant-facing lectures in the morning, lunch at mid-day, the Closing Ceremony in the afternoon on the Shanghai High School campus (if there is not enough room to fit, a live-feed will probably be available nearby, but the main value of being able to interact with the community will be there, because much of that interaction happens outside of the chamber). Alumni are invited to the closing party at 6pm in the Shanghai High School athletic center. Note that alumni are still responsible for their evening accommodation for the night of Mon Jul 20.
Tue Jul 21 (Post-IMO excursion day 1): alumni depart together from a single Shanghai pickup point, via coach bus, to spend the day sightseeing in Hangzhou, a Chinese city with rich historical heritage. All meals, and the overnight stay at a scenic hotel in Hangzhou, are included in the IMO Alumni Reunion registration fee.
Wed Jul 22 (Post-IMO excursion day 2): the coach bus will depart from the hotel to Anji, an area known for its natural beauty. The bamboo forests there were the filming location for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Alumni will go on a forest hike and experience local tea culture. All meals are included, as well as overnight accommodation in the scenic area.
Tue Jul 22 (departure): alumni depart on their own. Some people will book a high-speed rail ticket from Anji station to Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai (typically around US$15), and then take the Shanghai metro from there. If connecting to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the high-speed suburban express train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shanghai Pudong is particularly convenient. Other people may choose to conduct further exploration in China.